


Shuichi is tired.

by ToxicPineapple



Series: Saimami/Amasai ficlets and drabbles [3]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No Angst, Reading, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 15:02:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18741439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicPineapple/pseuds/ToxicPineapple
Summary: Shuichi smiles slightly, leaning against the wall and looking up at the ceiling. "Don't let me stop you. I'm just here because..." what's an acceptable reason? The truth? That's probably the only acceptable reason. "I haven't really gotten to see you for a couple weeks. I don't need to talk, or anything. Just sitting is okay."Eyes widening a fraction, Rantaro seems as though he's almost going to say something in response to the admission. But then he seems to decide against it, biting his lip with a smile and shaking his head.---Shuichi is tired. Rantaro accomodates.





	Shuichi is tired.

Shuichi pokes his head into the rec room. "...oh, hi, Rantaro." He isn't surprised and perhaps he should elaborate on why that is. "I thought I might find you in here."

 

Rantaro, as opposed to sitting on one of the couches, is sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. He has a book open in his lap. It can't be a very comfortable position, but he looks to be at ease; he gives the same smile as usual upon making eye contact with Shuichi.

 

"Hey," Rantaro calls, raising a hand and beckoning the detective over. So Shuichi closes the door behind him and walks over. It isn't against school regulations to be out of their dorms at night. Actually, it isn't really even night yet. It's a quarter until ten o'clock. But it is pretty late, and these sorts of excursions are probably frowned upon.

 

Even so, Shuichi only _just_ found out that Rantaro had gotten back from one of his most recent trips, and he hasn't seen him in a couple weeks, so...

 

As he takes his seat, Rantaro speaks again. "Who told you I was in here?"

 

"Ah... well, I made a deduction." Shuichi smiles nervously and averts his gaze. Usually such confessions result in compliments on the part of his conversational partner and he's not really in the mood right now to fight them off. Thankfully, Rantaro doesn't say anything. "I figured you'd... anyway. How did it go? Any results thus far?"

 

It's obvious what Shuichi is referring to, so he isn't surprised when Rantaro doesn't address it or ask any clarifying questions. He just shakes his head. "Nah, nothing. I've been to America several times, too. I'm pretty sure I could spend a whole lifetime in New York City alone without getting anywhere." He's usually pretty adamant about his search, but it's getting later and he must be tired. Shuichi opts against touching Rantaro's arm but offers a sympathetic look when he notes how discouraged the Ultimate Adventurer appears to be.

 

It's not like he really knows a good way to respond to the information he's just received. Shuichi doubts that Rantaro would take kindly to receiving pity. "Where do you think you'll be going next?"

 

"Hm." Rantaro seems to consider the question. "I haven't thought about it yet. Maybe some place in Eastern Europe. There are a lot of places I haven't gone yet, so..." a small smile dances on his lips, but Shuichi can detect notes of bitterness there, and as he understands that Rantaro doesn't like talking about his feelings, he changes the subject.

 

"What book is that?" He points at the book in Rantaro's lap. It's in Japanese, so he can read the cover, but it's not a book that he's ever seen before.

 

"This?" Rantaro holds up the book, and upon receiving affirmation, continues. "Oh, it's just a book I received on one of my more recent travels. It isn't that good, honestly, but it passes the time."

 

Quirking a brow, Shuichi smiles slightly. "How far are you into it?"

 

"Maybe a chapter or two. I don't get a lot of leisure time while I'm traveling." Rantaro shrugs, as though this is a fact of life, but Shuichi's lips draw into a small pout as he responds.

 

"Then, you don't really know how good it is yet, do you?" He doesn't particularly care about Rantaro's opinion on this book. It might very well be terrible. But this topic of conversation keeps them away from others, that might make the adventurer uncomfortable, and Shuichi is, accordingly, all for it. "You should keep reading it."

 

Rantaro scratches the back of his head. "Well, I was doing that..."

 

"Until I came in here?" Shuichi smiles slightly, leaning against the wall and looking up at the ceiling. "Don't let me stop you. I'm just here because..." what's an acceptable reason? The truth? That's probably the only acceptable reason. "I haven't really gotten to see you for a couple weeks. I don't need to talk, or anything. Just sitting is okay."

 

Eyes widening a fraction, Rantaro seems as though he's almost going to say something in response to the admission. But then he seems to decide against it, biting his lip with a smile and shaking his head. "Okay. If it's okay with you, then..." He reopens his book to his page and turns his attention back onto it.

 

Shuichi, as a result, decides to focus his attention on Rantaro. It's not like he hasn't seen the other boy before; he's even seen him reading before. But it's... it's weird, because looking at Rantaro's face has always just been a part of interaction, but now it feels like a privilege. Since that night, in the dining hall... for some reason, it makes Shuichi's heart skip a beat to think about it.

 

And nothing in particular happened. Rantaro had had a nightmare, and Shuichi was there to listen. He would do that for any of his friends. But they haven't talked about it, or even acknowledged it since it happened. Rantaro fell asleep in Shuichi's arms and they remained like that until a couple of their classmates began to filter in. Thankfully, only Kaede Akamatsu and Kirumi Toujo came to witness the position they were in, and neither of the girls seemed to enjoy poking fun.

 

Honestly, Shuichi would like to talk about it. But that would require him to come up to Rantaro and ask about it, and then risk the green-haired-boy not wanting to talk about it... because Rantaro doesn't like talking about his feelings, ever, in general. Shuichi is level-headed enough to know that it's not a reflection on him personally, but facing rejection is scary with or without context.

 

Something that Shuichi picks up on in this moment, right now, is how long Rantaro's eyelashes are. His hair is naturally a sort of macha colour and his eyelashes are as well. They're long and thick to the point that it's distracting just to watch him blink. Shuichi wonders if his gaze is creepy, or if Rantaro can feel it on his face. In order to avoid that happening, he moves his eyes elsewhere. To other parts of Rantaro's face. Simply drinking in the moment.

 

Suddenly Shuichi feels... he feels tired. It's not like today was a bad day, in fact, it was a pretty good day. He spent it in great company and had a pretty good time working with Kaito and Maki on a group project, too. Plus, any day where Rantaro comes back from his travels is automatically a good one in Shuichi's book. Still, the moment is quiet, and it's late, and the rec room is warm, and Rantaro smells sweet and familiar, though Shuichi can't really discern the exact scent.

 

He doesn't mean to nod off, but his eyes flutter shut against his will, and he must fall forward a little bit or something, because a few seconds or minutes later he opens his eyes again and he's not in the same spot that he was in before. Shuichi is pretty sure that it happened involuntarily, in his exhaustion, but as soon as he gathers enough of his wits to realise his surroundings, he realises that his head has dropped down onto Rantaro's shoulder.

 

It's pretty rude to suddenly be in his friend's personal space like this, so the detective pulls away slightly, lifting his head. But in doing so, he meets Rantaro's eyes, and realises with a surge of embarrassment that the adventurer's attention is entirely on Shuichi's face. His book must have been discarded when Shuichi nodded off, and dropped onto his shoulder.

 

Understandably. Shuichi has had friends put their heads on his shoulder before. It's not like it's an uncomfortable position, but it's anxiety inducing. Usually he feels as though the slightest movement is bound to wake them up.

 

His cheeks are definitely reddening but he's also not entirely sure that he wants to move. Rantaro is warm, and removing himself entirely feels like forfeiting a lot of comfort. Maybe he could ignore the embarrassment and just return to the position for now...?

 

"Mmh..." Shuichi yawns slightly, inadvertently resting his forehead back on the adventurer's shoulder in doing so. Rantaro smells really, _really_ good. Maybe it's his detergent, or something. Shouldn't somebody who travels so much have like, super bad BO?

 

"Hey, you're tired." Rantaro observes shrewdly. "Go back to sleep, if you want."

 

"...but your arm will get numb," Shuichi murmurs halfheartedly. (He doesn't particularly want to find a new position.) "Are you..." another yawn. "...sure that you're...?"

 

In lieu of a response, Rantaro shifts around so that Shuichi can lie down in his lap. It's probably just a friendly gesture, knowing Rantaro, but it still makes Shuichi... flustered.

 

"A-Ah, is this really okay?" He meets Rantaro's eyes, but the other boy just raises his eyebrows.

 

"It's okay. You're more interesting than my book, Shuichi." Ugh, that definitely would not have been said had either of them been feeling more awake. There is _a lot_ to unpack in that remark. Still, for now, Shuichi figures that it's a good enough excuse to do what he really wants to do, and thus rests his head in  Rantaro's lap.

 

Logically he knows that nobody's lap is bound to be very comfortable, but maybe just because Shuichi's tired, and he's actually lying down, and Rantaro is ridiculously warm- it's like he has a real pillow under his head.

 

Shuichi doesn't close his eyes right away, because he still wants to talk to Rantaro, but those thoughts sort of crumple when the other boy begins to play with his hair. Shuichi almost immediately loses his train of thought beyond how pretty Rantaro's smile is right now. And it feels nice, the way that the adventurer is gently untangling all of his knots without hurting...

 

_Ah..._ Shuichi wonders if it's normal to want to kiss somebody else like this. Probably, considering... well, considering a lot of things, but probably physical attraction in this moment in particular. But before he can think too much about it, or ask, or act, sleep catches up to him again and he falls asleep where he is.

**Author's Note:**

> hhhhhhh I have a couple other ficlets coming along the way tonight folks. taken me a while to get around to posting them but here they come. these,, these boys,,,


End file.
